Try working out to a video game; ‘EA Sports Active’ challenges you
Rating: 
You can’t get into a rhythm, and it was very hard to break a sweat during any activity in the game. There was also a negative association with the BMI (body mass index) being displayed each time. It was telling small children that they were fat. This made parents worry about the game giving younger users a complex. It just never synced up to the young user.
On top of that, “Wii Fit” gave you your “Wii Fit Age,” which was a shocking number (by design) if you were out of shape. It calculated your BMI, weight and actual age and provided an inflated number to show your “Fit Age” (or that age of your body).
EA listened to all the complaints about “Wii Fit” and went out of their way to make a game that addressed all peoples’ needs. By teaming up with Bob Greene from “thebestlife.com” and Oprah fame, they have created a workout game that will not only get you sweating, but help keep track of your daily calorie intake.
The game does come with some accessories. You have a resistance band and a leg strap and, while you can use the Wii balance board if you already have one, you don’t have to get one. The resistance straps are used for your upper-body exercises, and the leg strap holds the Nunchuck during gameplay so the game can tell if you are doing the lower body exercises correctly or not.
One of the big features of the game is the 30-day challenge. After setting up my profile with the game, I decided to take the 30-day challenge myself.
I had read all the press releases about how this was a more “western approach” to fitness, and that it focused more on total fitness and less on balance and posture, but it wasn’t until I started playing the game that it really hit home.
Each exercise you do starts with a tutorial during which you watch your trainer perform the routine, and at any time you can replay the tutorial back. You can pick either a male or female trainer that will guide you through your workouts. While the trainers are very happy and perky, that is personally the last thing I want in a trainer.
Maybe I am just a little bit warped, but I want a trainer that is going to yell at me and tell me to go faster and harder. Sadly, this never happens.
The exercises themselves come in three basic modes: cardio, upper-body and lower-body. The cardio workouts comes in some fun forms, like cardio boxing or dancing, and the not so fun, like running in place. There are plenty of upper-body workouts. The only problem is that the resistance band included didn’t offer much resistance. I ended up picking up a heavier band from the sporting goods store so I felt like I was getting the most out of my workouts. The lower-body workouts consist mostly of squats ... lots and lots of squats. I will say that if you have bad knees, you really need to skip this game.
Besides the exercise, “EA Sports Active” also gives you a daily journal. This allows you to log any additional exercise done outside of the game, and helps you keep track of your water and food intake. While this doesn’t help you plan meals, or give you any recipes, it does keep you cognizant of how much water you drink each day. It also makes you reconsider that soda you’re thinking of having.
I did do the full 30-day challenge, and it did produce results. The challenge is actually a 20-day workout challenge, because there are rest days built into the program. You will need the rest days if you put your all into the program and try your best to do the exercises the way they are shown, as you will be tired. After 30 days I personally ended up losing nine pounds.
“EA Sports Active” is the best workout game currently available. If you are looking for a workout game for either you or your family, go pick this one up. The other good news is that EA has already announced an expansion pack to come out around Christmas time. This should make sure that you won’t get bored with your workout.
“EA Sports Active” Developer: EA Sports Publisher: EA Platform: Wii Rated: E, for Everyone My Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
